Glow in the dark confetti launching device

ABSTRACT

A handheld neon glow in the dark confetti launching device may be described. The neon glow in the dark confetti launching device may be capable of glowing in the dark when used under black light, thereby providing a glowing neon effect. The confetti neon glow in the dark launching device may be configured with a glowing material circumferentially and internally to provide a glowing sensation while using it dispersing neon glow in the dark confetti into the air.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to festive implements, particularly ahandheld neon glow in the dark confetti launching device for launchingneon glow in the dark confetti pieces when used under black light in theair. More specifically, the present invention may be a neon “glow in thedark tube” filled with neon “glow in the dark” confetti launching devicethat may be capable of dispersing neon glow in the dark confetti intothe air while using a black light to make the neon confetti and the neontube glow in the dark.

BACKGROUND

Many conventional launching devices, known in the art, including‘cannons,’ etc., are used by people during the festive season to blastconfetti in the air. From the devices using blowers with compressed AIR,these cannons and launchers use a variety of triggers to eject confettiinto the air. In addition to the triggers, these devices are usuallyexpensive and bulky with sharp edges. Furthermore, the usage ofcompressed air and other fuels increases the risk level for accidents.

Some conventional devices, including and as described in U.S. Pat. Nos.1,153,207 and 1,491,809 assigned to ‘Samuel Eisenberg’ and ‘MacchiaCamillo’ respectively disclose funnel-shaped confetti launching devices.Each of these devices requires the user to blow in the funnel in orderto release the confetti from their housing enclosed within. Although thedevices are relatively simpler than other confetti launchers asdescribed above, expelling confetti to greater height requires a user todeploy a large amount of force through breathing. Such blowing rendersthese devices uncomfortable to use due to these limitations.

Another similar technique is disclosed in J.P Patent No. 3190529assigned to Hojin Sasa, which discloses a container filled with confettithat can be operated manually. The user holds the container holdingmultiple winding tapes are stored.

Traditionally, a product disclosed in U.S. Patent Application20080274663 assigned to Linda Dial disclosing pieces of confetti or acollection of pieces of confetti. The pieces of confetti include amaterial that is shiny or reflects light that is luminescent orphosphorescent or that glows in the dark to provide additional visualeffects. Though the pieces of confetti glow in the dark, the applicationis limited to just pieces of confetti, and no launcher is included.

A few products, such as Pink Neon Confetti Cannon of Wedding SparklersOutlet and Neon Confetti of Studio Pep, disclose neon confetti. Althoughthese products may include the feature of glow in the dark confetti,they do not provide flicking confetti in an easy manner, which alsolooks beautiful when the confetti is ejected from the cannon. Also, theconfetti may be randomly stuffed inside the tube, and these tubes alwaysrequire a cap for keeping the confetti inside the cannon.

The confetti devices in the market are not easily operated. They do nothave a functionality of glowing in the dark, and thus, are nor suitablefor use during low light conditions such as night parties. And theconfetti launching devices that include neon color confetti do notinclude the confetti in a cassette form or in an organized manner.Instead, such devices are stuffed with confetti, and they require a capto hold the confetti inside the tube.

To overcome the drawbacks of awkward prior art confetti launchingdevices and to increase the market for confetti devices, there is a needfor a “hand flick” neon glow in the dark tube with neon glow in the darkconfetti inside the launching device. The technology disclosed in Thisdocument overcomes these limitations as it is easy to use, and both thetube and the confetti can glow in the dark.

It may be apparent now that numerous methods and systems are developedin the prior art that are adequate for various purposes. Furthermore,even though these inventions may be suitable for the specific purposesto which they address, accordingly, they would not be suitable for thepurposes of the present invention as heretofore described. Thus, thereis a need for an easy to use “hand-flick” neon glow in the dark confettitube filled with neon glow in the dark confetti that glows under blacklight.

SUMMARY

The present invention solves the problem posed by the prior art bypresenting a simpler, non-mechanical design for a neon glow in the darkconfetti launcher. A neon glow in the dark launching device of thepresent invention includes a hollow neon glow in the dark tube filledwith bundles of individual neon glow in the dark confetti pieces. Theneon glow in the dark confetti bundles may be partially wrapped aroundby an outer layer, or wrapper, that loosely holds the bundle ofindividual confetti pieces in place. Such a wapper holds the neon glowin the dark confetti together until it is dispersed into the air. Thepartial wrapping of the neon glow in the dark confetti bundles causesthe bundles to burst open into a celebration of color and light when thebundles reach, or are near, the apex of their trajectory. Such anarrangement, in its entirety, forms a neon glow in the dark confettibundle that may be loaded into a hollow neon glow in the dark tube. Boththe neon glow in the dark hollow tube and the neon glow in the darkconfetti bundles are manufactured using bright neon glow in the darkcolor palettes. For this document, a “neon tube” is a “glow in the darktube,” where at least a portion of its outer surface defines afluorescent quality. Similarly, a “neon confetti bundle” is a “neon glowin the dark confetti bundle” comprising a plurality of confetti piecesdefining a fluorescent quality. Individual “glow in the dark confettipieces” may be referred to as “neon confetti” or “neon confetti pieces.”The fluorescent quality may be achieved by fluorescent paint (blacklightpaint) that glows in the presence of a blacklight in low lightconditions. Luminous paint or luminescent paint may also be used.

The hollow neon glow in the dark tube of the launching device definestwo opposing ends—the proximal end where users grip the at leastpartially hollow tube, and the opposing/opposite end, called the distalend, where one loads the neon glow in the dark confetti bundles into theat least partially hollow tube and where the confetti bundles exit thehollow neon glow in the dark tube when the user activates the launchingdevice with the “flick of the wrist.”

One object of the present invention may be to present a neon glow in thedark confetti launcher that may be simple and safe to be used by anyperson irrespective of the skill and age. Unlike other launchers thatuse triggering catalysts like compressed Co2 or igniting material, thelaunching device of the present invention uses a simple non-mechanicalsolution to eject the neon glow in the dark confetti. Such aconfiguration makes the neon glow in the dark launching device safer bylowering the risk of accidents and lower fire hazard risks.

Another object of the present invention may be to provide an easy tohandle design while adding portability to the neon glow in the darkconfetti launching devices. The neon glow in the dark launching deviceof the present invention may be in the form of the at least partiallyhollow neon glow in the dark tube that may be lightweight and easy tocarry around. It can be 6″, 9″, 14″ or 18″ in length.

Still another object of the present invention may be to arrange theloose neon glow in the dark confetti into neat stacks like a bundle ofindividual neon glow in the dark confetti pieces. Such bundles allowpacking of more confetti per unit area (approximately 850 pieces of neonglow in the dark confetti in the 6″ tube, 2,860 pieces of neon glow inthe dark confetti in the 9″ tube, 1,920 pieces of neon glow in the darkconfetti in the 14″ tube and 4,000 pieces of glow in the dark confettiin the 18″ glow in the dark tube). Such a precise manufacturing processminimizes the possibility that the confetti will fall out of the tubewhile not being too tight in the tube, allowing the confetti bundles todisperse into the air easily with the “flick of the wrist.” Theproprietary manufacturing specifications of each of the bundle ofindividual stacks of neon glow in the dark confetti also preventsclumping of confetti inside the hollow neon glow in the dark tube.

A further object of the present invention may be to avoid mixing orslippage of the neon glow in the dark confetti pieces by holding themtogether in a bundle of individual neon glow in the dark confettibundles having layers within. The confetti bundle stacks may be held inplace by a relatively longer strip of material of the neon glow in thedark confetti, partially covering the stack. The partially wrapping ofeach stack method of manufacturing allows the stacks of the neon glow inthe dark confetti to go higher into the air.

Another object of the present invention may be to allow filling of theneon glow in the dark tube with various stacks of neon glow in the darkconfetti, thereby inserting hundreds of individual neon glow in the darkconfetti pieces that inside the tube. The neon glow in the dark confettiglow under a black light making the neon glow in the dark launchingdevice and the neon glow in the dark confetti both visible andattractive to the user in low light conditions.

Yet another object of the present invention includes a confetti launcherof the present invention constructed with a pre-specified colorpertaining to a specific party or a religious/national celebration ifrequested.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from thefollowing description of several illustrative embodiments of theinvention, as shown in the following illustrative drawings.

Other objectives and aspects of the invention will become apparent fromthe following detailed description, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the featuresin accordance with embodiments of the invention.

Embodiments of the present invention may employ any or all of theexemplary aspects above. Those skilled in the art will furtherappreciate the above-noted features and advantages of the inventiontogether with other important aspects thereof upon reading the detaileddescription that follows in conjunction with the drawings, whichillustrate, by way of example, not limitation, the features inaccordance with embodiments of the invention. The summary is notintended to limit the scope of the invention, which may be definedsolely by the claims attached hereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention are described with reference to thefollowing drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1. Illustrates a neon glow in the dark confetti launching device;

FIG. 2a illustrates a cross-sectional view of the neon glow in the darkconfetti launching device from a distal end;

FIG. 2b illustrates a cross-sectional view of the neon glow in the darkconfetti launching device from a proximal end;

FIG. 3a illustrates ejection of a neon glow in the dark confetti fromthe neon glow in the dark confetti launching device while in use;

FIG. 3b illustrates ejection of neon glow in the dark confetti from thebundles of the neon glow in the dark confetti launching device while inuse;

FIG. 4a illustrates a neon glow in the dark bundle of confetti withinthe neon glow in the dark confetti launching device;

FIG. 4b illustrates a cross-sectional view of a bundle of the neon glowin the dark confetti.

FIG. 5a-5e illustrates types of neon glow in the dark confetti shapesand dimensions; and

FIG. 6 illustrates a method of using the neon glow in the dark confettilaunching system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention relates to festive implements, particularly a neonglow in the dark launching device for emitting neon glow in the darkconfetti into the air. The launching device may be a hollow neon glow inthe dark stick filled with fluorescent neon glow in the dark confettiinside it. The neon glow in the dark confetti and the hollow neon glowin the dark stick are both preferably manufactured in eye-catching neonglow in the dark colors. The invention provides a safe and easy to useneon glow in the dark confetti launching device for all age groups. Forthis document, a “hollow tube” means “at least partially hollow tube,”and a “hollow stick” means “at least partially hollow stick” unlessexpressly stated otherwise. The “hollow tube” may define shapes such asa walking cane and a magician's wand. Further, “neon-color” broadlyapplies to a wide range of fluorescent or ultra-bright colors. It shouldbe appreciated that there is a fluorescent or ultra-bright version ofalmost every primary and secondary color. Further, at least part of thehollow tube/stick described herein may be at least partially translucentor transparent.

For one embodiment, a hollow neon glow in the dark tube may be filledwith bundles of stacked confetti pieces, which are partially wrappedwith a relatively longer strip of tissue or PVC film confetti materialor any other suitable material known in the art. With a simple “flick ofthe wrist,” such neon glow in the dark confetti bundles are ejected outof the hollow neon glow in the dark tube when the user moves her arm andwrist quickly. The relatively longer strip of material acts as an outerlayer and holds the confetti pieces together. The bundles of confettiare partially wrapped with a relatively longer confetti piece tofacilitate easy dispersion of confetti pieces when the neon glow in thedark launching device is activated. The manufacturer specifications fora launching device may specify a predefined weight range (+/−5%) andsize range (+/−5%) for the neon glow in the dark confetti bundles. Suchspecifications are selected to minimize the possibility that the bundlesof neon glow in the dark confetti are too tight and/or too loose insideof the neon glow in the dark tube.

FIG. 1 illustrates one exemplary embodiment of a neon glow in the darklaunching device 100 of the present invention. The launching device maybe in the shape of a hollow neon glow in the dark tube 102 with twoends. A proximal end may be in proximity with the user, and an opposingdistal end may be opposite to the proximal end. The proximal end may beat least partially blocked to prevent confetti bundles from passingthrough the proximal end. Alternatively, the proximal end may be smallerin diameter compared to the distal end so that the confetti bundles aretoo big to pass through the proximal end. For one embodiment of thepresent invention, the hollow neon glow in the dark tube 102 may be madeof any suitable lightweight material such as corrugated cardboard,paperboard, and the like and may be wrapped with a neon-colored glow inthe dark film. In other embodiments, the hollow neon glow in the darktube 102 may be made from other materials such as aluminum, steel, andplastics. Moreover, a hollow neon glow in the dark tube 102 may bewrapped using bright and neon-colored paper or plastic material. In analternate embodiment, the hollow neon glow in the dark tube may be madeof a neon color using coating or spraying techniques on the material ofthe hollow neon glow in the dark tube 102.

The hollow neon glow in the dark tube 102 defines a cavity in whichmultiple partially wrapped bundles of neon glow in the dark confetti arestacked on top of each other in a row. In one embodiment, thelongitudinal axis of the hollow neon glow in the dark tube and the neonglow in the dark bundles of confetti may be aligned together. The neonglow in the dark bundles of confetti may be arranged inside the hollowneon glow in the dark tube such that the layers of individual neon glowin the dark confetti are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the hollowneon glow in the dark tube. In an alternate embodiment, the layering ineach bundle of individual neon glow in the dark confetti can bepositioned at different angles to the longitudinal axis of the hollowneon glow in the dark tube so that each bundle of glow in the darkconfetti remains substantially intact prior to triggering of the neonglow in the dark launching device 100. The neon glow in the dark bundlesmay comprise an outer layer 104 wrapped around a bundle of individualglow in the dark confetti 106. The outer layer 104 may be a strip ofmaterial that is relatively longer than the confetti 106 so that it mayat least partially wrap around and hold the confetti 106 together. Theouter layer 104 and the neon glow in the dark confetti 106 can be formedeither of the same material or different materials. For one embodiment,the confetti 106 and the outer layer 104 both are formed of light,delicate material such as Crepe paper, craft paper, tissue paper, PVCfilm or metallic film, and the like.

For one embodiment, the bundle of individual neon glow in the darkconfetti forms a cuboid. The bundles of individual neon glow in the darkconfetti 106 may comprise confetti 106 of the same color, or they may beassorted colors. Similarly, the hollow glow in the dark tube 102 and thebundle of individual neon glow in the dark confetti 106 may have thesame neon glow in the dark colors or different neon glow in the darkcolors. Notably, as noted above, neon glow in the dark colors are anextremely bright (ultra-bright) version of primary or secondary colorsthat exhibit luminescence when used under black light.

As noted previously, the bundle of individual glow in the dark confetti106 may be at least partially surrounded by the outer layer 104. Such anouter layer may define a u-shape. The outer layer 104 loosely holds theindividual neon glow in the dark confetti 106 and may cover threeconsecutive faces of the cuboid. The size of the bundles of neon glow inthe dark confetti required for a particular hollow tube design may bedetermined and specified so that such bundles do not fall out of eitherend of the hollow tube under gravity. Such confetti bundle dimensionswould then be used in a precise manufacturing process. The predeterminedconfetti bundles sizes define a confetti bundle size and shape that trapthe confetti bundle inside the hollow tube 102 by friction between aninner surface of the hollow neon glow in the dark tube 102 and a surfaceof the bundle of neon glow in the dark confetti.

In an alternate embodiment, a plug, such as a disc or piece of foam,defining an outer diameter similar to the internal diameter of thehollow neon glow in the dark tube 102 may be used at either end of thehollow neon glow in the dark tube 102. The plug acts as a stopper forthe neon glow in the dark confetti bundles inside the tube. The plug maybe made up of lightweight materials such as cardboard, foam, paperboard,and the like. The diameter of the inner volume of the hollow neon glowin the dark tube may be about 1.5 cm or higher depending on the amountof neon glow in the dark confetti a user wishes to deploy into the airusing the launching device 100.

For one embodiment, the diameter of the hollow neon glow in the darktube ranges from about 1.5 cm to about 2.3 cm, and the length of tube102 ranges from about 6 to about 18 inches, which surprisingly, is thesize most suitable for handling and use by non-professionals.Measurements for the various parts of the invention are +/−10%, and“about” means+/−10% unless expressly stated otherwise.

It will be appreciated that the length of the hollow neon glow in thedark tube 102 may be any desired length including 6 inches, 9 inches, 14inches, and 18 inches, and the diameter of the hollow neon glow in thedark tube may be one of a 0.921-inch, 0.740-inch, 0.910 inch, and 2inches, respectively. The neon glow in the dark hollow tube 102 maycomprise a “skin” (wrapper/cover) configured to cover at least part ofthe exterior portion of the hollow glow in the dark tube 102. Such skinmay be a predefined skin design and may be user-selectable. For oneembodiment, the skin design may be a custom design defined by a userduring the ordering process via software provide for such purpose. Suchallows for a custom skin design tailor-made for a particular event.

The neon glow in the dark launching device 100 may be triggered in anynumber of ways by generating an unbalance in the forces between theconfetti bundle inside a launching device 100 and the launching device100, which causes the confetti bundle to accelerate. Generating acentrifugal force is one example. For example, by holding (in eitherhand) a neon glow in the dark hollow tube (at either end), filled withneon glow in the dark confetti 102, with the arm straight up into theair (12:00 position), then moving the forearm or arm to the 3:00position, and then returning the forearm or arm to the 12:00 position,quickly, while flicking the wrist at the same time, the bundles of neonglow in the dark confetti are exposed to an unbalanced force relative tothe launching device 100 causing the bundle to accelerate in thedirection of the distal end causing the confetti bundles to be projectedout the distal end of the launching device 100 and into the air. Stateddifferently, the movement dislodges the bundles of neon glow in the darkconfetti, which are ejected out from the distal end of the neon glow inthe dark launching device. As the bundles of neon glow in the darkconfetti exit the confinement of the hollow glow in the dark tube, theouter layer begins to separate from the bundle of individual neon glowin the dark confetti pieces until the separation allows the bundle toburst open, creating a starburst of color and light. Ideally, thestarburst occurs at a predefined speed, which should occur at or nearthe apex of the trajectory for the confetti bundles.

FIGS. 2a and 2b illustrate a cross-sectional view of the two ends of thehollow neon glow in the dark tube 102 of the present invention. Asmentioned, the outer layer 104 may hold the bundles of individual neonglow in the dark confetti 106 loosely along a plurality of faces.Notably, a first cuboid may have a surface adjacent to and in contactwith a surface of a second cuboid. Such a second cuboid may have asecond face that may be disposed opposite the first face, where suchsecond face is in contact with the face of a third cuboid. The cuboidsmay be directed towards an opening at either of the ends of the hollowglow in the dark tube 102.

FIG. 2a illustrates the cross-sectional view of the distal end of theneon glow in the dark hollow tube 102 of the launching device 100. Thestacked neon glow in the dark confetti bundles may be visible from thedistal end of the hollow tube 102, especially the second face of thecuboid as shown in FIG. 2a . For one embodiment of the presentinvention, the second face of the neon glow in the dark (confetti)bundles (cuboid) is visible from the distal end and may be covered bythe outer layer 104. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciatethat the confetti bundles may define any suitable three-dimensionalshape, including cylinders and spheres. Further, bundles of differentshapes may be loaded into the launching device 100 and used at the sametime.

One or more neon glow in the dark confetti plugs (discs or pieces offoam) may also be used for the construction of the neon glow in the darklauncher of the present invention. The disc may be configured to beplaced inside the inner volume of the hollow tube 102, near one of theends. Depending on the end design, the disc or foam pieces may bevisible from the cross-sectional opening of either the proximal end, orthe distal end, or both the ends of the hollow neon glow in the darktube 102.

Alternatively, multiple discs or pieces of foam can be placed in theinner volume of the neon glow in the dark tube at regular intervalscreating segments inside the hollow tube 102. These segments may containseparate neon glow in the dark confetti bundles. The discs or pieces offoam are held in place temporarily due to interaction between roughsurfaces of the disc or foam edges in the inner surface of the hollowneon glow in the dark tube 102. Multiple segments allow a user to bettercontrol the ejection of the neon glow in the dark confetti pieces fromthe hollow glow in the dark tube 102. Instead of the contents beingdispensed all at once, each disc or piece of foam is suitably sized sothat they move slower through the tube 102 than and unimpeded neon glowin the dark bundle of confetti pieces 106. Such a configuration allowsfor the creation of multiple events of neon glow in the dark confetti106 launchings by the same device without reloading.

FIG. 2b illustrates the cross-sectional view of the proximal end of thehollow neon glow in the dark tube 102. In a preferred embodiment, theproximal end of the neon glow in the dark confetti launcher 100 may beconfigured to be gripped by a user. The proximal end of the launching100 device is the end closer to the user's body. For times where discsor pieces of foam are not used, the contents of the hollow neon glow inthe dark tube 102 may be exposed to the outside at the proximal end. Injuxtaposition to the distal end of the hollow neon glow in the dark tube102, the proximal end of the neon glow in the dark launching device doesnot have neon glow in the dark confetti pieces 106 occluded by the outerlayer 104. Instead, each layer of the bundles of individual neon glow inthe dark confetti 106 within the neon glow in the dark bundle that maybe farthest from the center of the tube may be visible from the proximalend.

After gripping either end (depending on the configuration) of the neonglow in the dark tube 102 by hand, the user should extend their armupward above her head to the 12:00 position. The user may then bring herforearm back to the 3:00 position and return the arm to the 12:00position, quickly, while flicking the wrist at the same time, causingthe neon glow in the dark confetti to flutter, fly and/or float out ofthe neon glow in the dark tube (depending on the confetticonfiguration). That said, for the confetti bundles that are wrapped asdescribed above, the confetti bundles should fly along theirdisbursement trajectory and not burst apart until they reach apredetermined speed, which should occur near the apex of theirtrajectory. For one embodiment, the confetti bundles burst apartapproximately 15 feet from the launcher device 100. FIGS. 3a and 3billustrate a method of operating the neon glow in the dark launchingdevice 100 of the present invention. The neon glow in the dark launchingdevice 100 may be operated manually by a user to release theneon-colored glow in the dark confetti pieces 106 that the launchingdevice 100, as shown in FIG. 3a . The proximal end may be used forholding the hollow neon glow in the dark tube 102 by the user and‘flicked’ by hand.

As noted above, the sudden movement of the arm creates a centrifugalforce (acceleration) that ejects the neon glow in the dark confettibundles from the launching device 100 where they burst open in the airto release the neon glow in the dark confetti 106 pieces. The neon glowin the dark launching device 100 should be moved with sufficient speedin order to generate the force needed to eject the neon glow in the darkconfetti bundles out of the hollow neon glow in the dark tube 102. Itmay be necessary that the user move/flick their wrist or forearm in anarcuate movement to create centrifugal forces that act on the contentsof the hollow neon glow in the dark tube 102 and empties the cavityinside. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that when thehollow neon glow in the dark tube 102 is moved along a curved path, thelonger the hollow neon glow in the dark tube 102 the faster the distalend moves relative to the proximal end and the more centrifugal forcesand associated acceleration generated.

The design of the neon glow in the dark launching device 100 may besimple and easy to use by users of any age group or skill. The neon glowin the dark launching device 100 does not use chemical fuels such ascompressed gases like co2 to explode the neon glow in the dark confetti106 in the air. The current design minimizes risks, which should resultin fewer accidents when using such devices. Although a typical neon glowin the dark launching device 100 may use paper neon glow in the darkconfetti 106, other materials may also be used, such as Mylar, PVCplastic FILM, metal foil, other metallic material and the like.Furthermore, the device of the present invention may be made oflightweight material, which may be easy to carry and provides for moreportability compared to other confetti launchers known in the art.

Referring now more particularly to FIG. 3B, a handheld confettilaunching system 100 defining a glow in the dark quality, is presented.The launching system 100 comprises an at least partially hollow tube 102defining an elongated body 110 having an outer surface, an innersurface, a first end 112 and an opposing second end 114 with a centralaxis 116 running along the center of the elongated body 110. At least aportion of the outer surface of the elongated body 110 defines a glow inthe dark quality. As noted above, the “glow in the dark quality” may bea fluorescent quality achieved using fluorescent paint (blacklightpaint) that glows in the presence of a blacklight in low lightconditions. Luminous paint or luminescent paint may also be used.Further, as noted above, the term “neon-color” for “backlight paint”broadly applies to a wide range of fluorescent or ultra-bright colors.The elongated body 110, or a portion of the elongated body, may definean at least partially translucent or transparent quality. The launchingsystem 100 further comprises at least one confetti bundle 118 comprisinga plurality of confetti pieces 106. The confetti bundle 118 may bepositioned within the hollow tube 102 along the central axis 116. Atleast a majority of the plurality of confetti pieces 106 define a glowin the dark quality. At least one of the first end or the second end maybe configured to be held in a user's hand. As depicted in FIG. 3B, thefirst end 112 is being held in a user's hand.

The hollow tube 102 of the launching system 100 is configured to receivea plurality of confetti bundles 118 disposed along the central axis 116in either a stacked or unstacked configuration. At least one confettibundle 118, (comprising one bundle or a stacked pair of confetti bundles118), is suitably sized so that at least part of at least one outersurface defined by said at least one confetti bundle 118 engages with aportion of the inner surface defined by the hollow tube 102 to createfriction therebetween that holds said at least one confetti bundleinside said hollow tube 102 while under the force of gravity. For such aconfiguration, the force of gravity alone will not be enough to ejectthe confetti bundles 118 out of the hollow tube 102. Thus, no end cap isrequired to hold the confetti bundles 118 inside the hollow tube 102.However, by rotating the second end 114 about the first end 112, acentrifugal force is created that is large enough to eject the confettibundle 118 out of the second end 114 of the elongated body 110 asdepicted in FIG. 3B. The ejected confetti bundle 118 travels along itstrajectory until it burst open a predefined distance from the second end114. The predefined distance desired can be established using variousbundle designs and bundle wrapper configurations that may define variousaerodynamic features. Ideally, the confetti bundle 118 will burst opennear the apex of its trajectory.

The neon glow in the dark confetti pieces and the outer layer 104 shouldbe made of the lightest and most delicate material possible (such astissue paper or a PVC neon glow in the dark film) so that a “flick ofthe wrist” of the user's hand may be enough to dislodge such materialfrom the hollow neon glow tube 102. It is noted that gravity acts on allthings equally, which means all things fall at the same rate assuming noforces other than gravity. However, when the “thing” is confetti, andthe environment is open-air, lighter confetti floats more, and thus,falls slower than heavier confetti. If the confetti material is tooheavy, the confetti 106 will simply plummet to the ground quicklywithout creating visually striking displays of movement to appeal to anaudience. Yet light materials are difficult to project through the air.Thus, for one embodiment, the confetti wrapper used to form a confettibundle, as described above, should be materially heavier than theindividual confetti pieces. For example, a bundle wrapper may be twicethe weight of all the individual confetti pieces making up a bundle.Such allows the confetti bundle to be projected further from thelaunching device 100 before bursting open while still providing for alonger-lasting confetti visual experience.

The neon glow in the dark launching device 100 of the present inventionmay also use predetermined colors for the hollow neon glow in the darktube 102 and the neon glow in the dark confetti 106 filled inside. Thecolor of the hollow neon glow in the dark tube 102 and the neon glow inthe dark confetti may be of the same neon glow in the dark color or thecolor of the hollow neon glow in the dark tube 102, and the neon glow inthe dark confetti 106 may be different. Alternatively, the hollow neonglow in the dark tube 102 may be made with a single predetermined neonglow in the dark color, and the neon glow in the dark confetti 106filled inside may be made with multiple pre-selected colors. Suchpre-selected neon glow in the dark colors are picked according to aspecific festivity, with the neon glow in the dark launching devicebeing used exclusively for that celebration. The examples include allblack light functions, including dances, bingo parties, nightclubs andbars, and blacklight school parties.

FIG. 4a illustrates a typical neon glow in the dark confetti bundle usedin the present invention, particularly the bundle of individual neonglow in the dark confetti pieces 106. Such a particular neon glow in thedark confetti bundles are partially wrapped, as depicted in FIG. 4B,covering two opposing bundle faces. It may be preferable to manufacturesuch a neon glow in the dark confetti bundle as a partially wrappedright-angle rectangle as shown in the FIG. 4 A. Alternatively, theconfetti may define a triangle shape (or any suitable shape), and whenmaking it a triangle, it may be partially wrapped when manufacturing.

FIG. 4b illustrates a transverse view of a neon glow in the dark bundleexhibiting individual layers and the outer layer 104. The individualneon glow in the dark confetti pieces 106 used in making the neon glowin the dark bundles can either be all of the same neon glow in the darkcolor or two or more neon glow in the dark colors. By alternating stackswithin the bundle or one bundle consisting of an assortment of multipleneon glow in the dark colors, individual neon glow in the dark confettipieces 106 may be arranged in recurrent patterns. The bundle ofindividual glow in the dark confetti pieces 106, typically used in theneon glow in the dark launching device 100 of the present invention, maycontain between 850 to 4,000 rectangular tissue or PVC neon glow in thedark paper cuttings or about thirty-two 10 feet to 12 feet×0.75 inch PVCneon glow in the dark streamers.

The number of neon glow in the dark confetti pieces 106 may varyaccording to the length and cross-sectional area of the hollow neon glowin the dark tube 102 used in the construction of the launching device100. It may be preferable to manufacture the hollow neon glow in thedark tube 102 and the bundle of individual neon glow in the darkconfetti pieces 106 in neon glow in the dark colors, as these colors arebolder and more attention seeking. Unlike other party novelties, thelaunching neon glow in the dark device 100 of the present invention canbe used in a dark space which has neon glow in the dark black lightlighting since the neon glow in the dark confetti pieces 106 need theneon glow in the blacklight, so the neon glow in the dark confettibundles are visible to the audience. As is well known, neon glow in thedark colors will “glow in the dark” under black-lighting.

The shape of the neon glow in the dark confetti 106 also plays on therole of proper segregation in air and rate of descent and movementthrough the air. In one embodiment of the present invention, theindividual neon glow in the dark confetti pieces 106 are manufactured asrectangular strips. Other shapes that can be employed are diamonds,squares, trapezoids and triangles, and the like. However, narrowtrapezoids descend at a faster rate with more vertical movements thanthe other shapes that show staggered horizontal movements duringdescent. The narrow or tapering edge of the shape leads the other edgeduring downward movement accelerating the descent than other shapes. Thetriangular-shaped neon glow in the dark confetti spiral downward and actas a whirlybird.

A typical rectangular shape, on the other hand, provides a flutterymovement until landing on the ground. The shape also supports signaturestaggered “fluttery” movement of the piece 106 when propelled in theair. Such movements provide more appeal to owe created by the launchingdevice 100. In one embodiment, confetti manufacturing methods known inthe art can be used for the launching device 100, such as die-cuttingvarious shapes as hearts, rose petals, stars, and apple leaves, and soon. Ideally, the hollow tube 102 would be at least two inches indiameter or width to lunch such shapes.

Further in FIG. 5a-e , each piece of neon glow in the dark confetti inthe bundles may have any suitable shape such as, but not limited to,elongated rectangular shape, as shown in FIGS. 5a-5e . The particularshape of the pieces of neon glow in the dark confetti 106 may vary fromthe right-angle rectangle shown in FIG. 5a . In FIGS. 5b-5e , each piecemay include a neon glow in the dark triangular shape. Each piece may becut from a lightweight material such as fire-proof, biodegradable tissuepaper, flameproof mylar, or flameproof PVC film or the like and may bepreferably made out of neon glow in the dark material which glows underblack light. Each piece of confetti 106 has a length L and width W, anda longitudinal axis A. The pieces may have a length of about one-halfinches to about seven inches and have a width of about one-fourth inchto about seven-eights.

For maximum fluttering effect when falling, it has been discovered that,surprisingly, the Length/width (L/W) ratio should be in the order of1.75 to 10.0, or 2.5 to 7.0 depending upon the type of falling motiondesired as will be more fully described hereinafter. Such four-sidedpieces are referred to herein as elongated rectangular 1 inch shapes.

The shapes illustrated in FIGS. 5a-5d do not fall to the ground witheither a side or end leading in the direction of fall. Instead, suchelongated rectangular piece of neon glow in the dark confetti 106,having L/W ratios in the order of 2.5 to 7.0, fall with theirlongitudinal axis A substantially parallel to the ground; i.e.,substantially horizontally, while each piece rotates about its axis A.Due to the rotating or fluttering action, the pieces fall relativelyslowly, and with a horizontal component of movement such that each has arelatively long “hang” time while it flutters to the ground. The term“substantially parallel” means within +/−10 degrees of being parallel.

FIG. 5e illustrates a piece of elongated rectangular confetti 106 thathas an entirely different falling motion than that of described withrespect to FIGS. 5a-5d . The neon glow in the dark confetti piece 106may be in the form of an elongated triangle having a length in the orderof 3 to 4.5 inches and an L/W ratio in the order of 7 to 10. The L/Wratio may be determined with respect to the wider end. Suchconfiguration forms a relatively longer and relatively narrowertruncated triangle than that shown in FIG. 5d . For example, the widthof the end may be in the order of one-sixteenth of an inch to one-fourthof an inch. When such a piece falls through the air, it falls with thenarrow end leading in the direction of fall with the piece rotatingabout axis A which extends vertically instead of horizontally. The widthW1 may be narrower than the width W2. Since such a piece falls in thevertical orientation, the ends tend to flutter laterally relative to themid-portion such that the motion may be that of a corkscrew twirling tothe ground.

In addition to fluttering vertically instead of horizontally, neon glowin the dark confetti pieces 106, in the shape described with respect toFIG. 5e , fall faster than those described with respect to FIGS. 5a-5d .Thus, when both types of elongated tetragonal shapes are released in theair together, there may be the unique visual effect of some piecesfluttering horizontally and falling relatively slowly while others twirlvertically and fall more rapidly through the mass of more slowly fallingpieces.

FIG. 6 illustrates a method of using a neon glow in the dark confettitube 600 with multiple neon glow in the dark confetti bundles arrangedinternally. The method includes the positioning of the neon glow in thedark confetti tube at a predetermined angle from a proximal end of theconfetti tube 602. Once the user is holding the neon glow in the darkconfetti tube at a particular position, the user starts flicking theconfetti tube with a force 604. The force may be based on thepredetermined angle 606. The user creates an arcuate path for ejectingat least one neon glow in the dark confetti bundle from a distal end ofthe neon glow in the dark confetti tube into the air.

While the various embodiments of the present invention have beendescribed above, it should be understood that they have been presentedby way of example only and not of limitation. Likewise, the figure maydepict an example architectural or other configuration for theinvention, which may be done to aid in understanding the features andfunctionality that can be included in the invention. The invention maybe not restricted to the illustrated example architectures orconfigurations, but the desired features can be implemented using avariety of alternative architecture and configurations.

Although the invention may be described above in terms of variousexemplary embodiments and implementations, it should be understood thatthe various features, aspects, and functionality described in one ormore of the individual embodiments are not limited in theirapplicability to the particular embodiment with which they aredescribed, but instead can be applied, alone or in various combinations,to one or more of the other embodiments of the invention, whether or notsuch embodiments are described and whether or not such features arepresented as being a part of a described embodiment. Thus, the breadthand scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of theabove-described exemplary embodiments.

As used herein, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third” may be usedinterchangeably to distinguish one component from another and are notintended to signify the location or importance of the individualcomponents. The term “axial” refers to a direction parallel to thedirection of rotation of an object; the term “radial” refers to adirection extending away from the center of an object or normal to the“axial” direction, and the term “circumferential” refers to a directionextending around the circumference or perimeter of an object.

As used in the claims, the definite article “said” identifies requiredelements that define the scope of embodiments of the claimed invention,whereas the definite article “the” merely identifies environmentalelements that provide context for embodiments of the claimed inventionthat are not intended to be a limitation of any claim.

In this document, unless otherwise stated, the phrase “at least one ofA, B, and C” or “one of A, B, and C” means there is at least one of A,or at least one of B, or at least one of C or any combination thereof.Such does not mean one of A, and one of B, and one of C.

The presence of broadening words and phrases such as “one or more,” “atleast,” “but not limited to” or other like phrases in some instancesshall not be read to mean that the narrower case may be intended orrequired in instances where such broadening phrases may be absent.

1. A handheld confetti launching system defining a glow in the dark quality, said confetti launching system comprising: an at least partially hollow tube defining an elongated body having an outer surface, an inner surface, a first end and an opposing second end with a central axis running along the center of the elongated body, wherein at least a portion of the outer surface of the elongated body defines a glow in the dark quality; at least one confetti bundle comprising a plurality of confetti pieces wherein said confetti bundle is positioned within said hollow tube along the central axis, and wherein at least a majority of said plurality of confetti pieces define a glow in the dark quality and wherein at least one of the first end or the second end is configured for being held in a user's hand; wherein said at least one confetti bundle is suitably sized so that said at least one confetti bundle is ejected out of the second end of the elongated body by a force created by rotating the second end about the first end; and wherein said at least one confetti bundle is configured to burst open a predefined burst distance from said second end once ejected out of the second end.
 2. The confetti launching system of claim 1, wherein the length of the said elongated body is between about 6 inches and about 18 inches inclusive and said predefined burst distance is at least 10 feet.
 3. The confetti launching system as in claim 2, wherein the length of said at least one confetti bundle is between about 3 inches to 17 inches long.
 4. The confetti launching system of claim 1, wherein the length of said elongated body is between about 6 inches and about 3 feet.
 5. The confetti launching system of claim 1, wherein said hollow tube defines the general shape of a dancer's cane or a magician's wand.
 6. The confetti launching system of claim 1, wherein said glow in the dark quality is a fluorescent paint that glows in the presence of a blacklight.
 7. The confetti launching system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of confetti pieces define one of a rectangular shape, heart, rose petal, star, or apple leaves.
 8. The confetti launching system of claim 7, wherein said at least one of said plurality of confetti pieces define a rectangular shape defining a width to length ratio of about 1.75 to 10.0.
 9. The confetti launching system of claim 1, wherein said hollow tube is about 18 inches long and wherein said at least one of said plurality of confetti pieces define a PVC streamer made from a PVC film that is between about 10 feet 12 feet long by about three-fourths of an inch wide.
 10. The confetti launching system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of confetti pieces define a multi-colored piece that is configured to glow in the dark in the presence of a dark light.
 11. The confetti launching system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said at least one confetti bundle comprises a confetti wrapper that at least partially wraps around said plurality of confetti pieces wherein said confetti wrapper is configured to prevent said plurality of confetti pieces from bursting open for a predefined distance from said second end after being ejected out of said second end.
 12. The confetti launching system as in claim 11, wherein the weight of said wrapper is about 1.25 times the weight of said plurality of confetti pieces.
 13. The confetti launching system as in claim 1, wherein said plurality of confetti bundles are stacked adjacent to each other along the central axis of the elongated body.
 14. The confetti launching system as in claim 13, wherein the stacked confetti bundles comprise layers of elongated rectangular confetti, and wherein the layers of elongated rectangular confetti of adjacent bundles are oriented at an angle with respect to each other.
 15. The confetti launching system as in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of confetti bundles define a frictional association with at least part of the inner surface of the elongated body.
 16. The confetti launching system as in claim 1, wherein the internal diameter of said hollow tube is between about seven-eighths of an inch to about two inches.
 17. The confetti launching system as in claim 16, wherein at least one of said plurality of confetti pieces defines a rectangular shape having a width of about one-half inch to about three-fourths of an inch.
 18. A method of launching confetti bundles of flow in the dark confetti upwardly into the air to form an aerial display comprising: (i) positioning the Neon Glow In The Dark confetti tube a predetermined angle from a proximal end of the Neon Glow In The Dark confetti tube; (ii) flicking the Neon Glow In The Dark confetti tube with a force, wherein the force may be based on the predetermined angle; (iii) ejecting at least one Neon Glow In The Dark confetti bundle from a distal end of the Neon Glow In The Dark confetti tube, wherein the Neon Glow In The Dark confetti bundle may be ejected along an arcuate path into air.
 19. The method of claim 15 wherein the number of pieces of the Neon Glow In The Dark confetti comprising said at least one bundle may be sufficient to cause said at least one bundle to extend across the interior diameter of said hollow Neon Glow In The Dark tube and frictionally engage the interior walls of said tube with a predetermined amount of friction sufficient to prevent said at least one bundle from falling out of the tube under the force of gravity when said open tube end may be pointed downwardly.
 20. An aerial display Neon Glow In The Dark confetti device comprising: (a) an elongated hollow Neon Glow In The Dark tube having a firt and a second open ends, wherein the length of the hollow Neon Glow In The Dark tube may be in the order of 6″ to 3 feet; (b) a plurality of Neon Glow In The Dark confetti, wherein each of the plurality of the Neon Glow In The Dark confetti are rectangular in shape, further wherein, pieces of the plurality of Neon Glow In The Dark confetti holds the ability to glow in dark under black light; (c) the plurality of the Neon Glow In The Dark confetti are stacked to form one or more bundles with an outer layer partially enclosing the plurality of the Neon Glow In The Dark confetti which may be stacked, wherein the outer layer may be a piece of the Neon Glow In The Dark confetti which may be of the greater length of that of the plurality of the Neon Glow In The Dark partially wrapped confetti.
 21. A new use for an elongated hollow Neon Glow In The Dark tube comprising the steps of: (a) cutting a large plurality of pieces of confetti from lightweight material, said pieces of confetti having elongated, rectangular or triangular shapes and are Neon Glow In The Dark confetti under black light. (b) inserting a large plurality of said elongated, rectangular or triangular shaped pieces of Neon Glow In The Dark confetti into said elongated hollow Neon Glow In The Dark tube with the elongated length of said pieces aligned parallel to each other and to the elongated length of said Neon Glow In The Dark tube to form an aligned stack of Neon Glow In The Dark confetti extending across the diameter of said Neon Glow In The Dark tube as an intact bundle, (c) holding said elongated Neon Glow In The Dark tube adjacent one end and moving said Neon Glow In The Dark tube rapidly in an arcuate path with the forearm and wrist with sufficient speed to eject said bundle of pieces of rectangular-shaped Neon Glow In The Dark confetti from said Neon Glow In The Dark tube and into the air.
 22. A large plurality of identical pieces of the Neon Glow In The Dark confetti, the plurality of pieces being stacked in the bundle, and the bundle being disposed within the hollow Neon Glow In The Dark tube, the plurality of pieces of Neon Glow In The Dark confetti being sufficient for the bundle to extend across the diameter of the hollow Neon Glow In The Dark tube in frictional contact with the hollow Neon Glow In The Dark tube, and the lengths of the pieces being parallel to each other and to the elongated length of the hollow Neon Glow In The Dark tube. 